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Topic: Review - EF 24 f/1.4L II (Read 24915 times)

I love this lens however I reach for the 35L more often as I do find that length somewhat more practical. However portraits from the 24 - particularly childrens', can be stunning.

I've recently compared the 24-70ii at 24 with this and whilst the zoom is as sharp, I actually like the 'look' of the prime marginally more - something almost 'film-like' about it. A tired or vague description perhaps but the 24L is really unique.

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It's my favorite lens, too. Great results on both 5DIII and 7D. If I had to look for quibbles, it would be that the lens hood on mine isn't secure enough in busy environments unless I use a bit of gaffers tape to keep it from rotating.

I'm looking to rent a lens for a backpacking trip this summer in the Sierras and was looking at the Zeiss ZE 21mm f/2.8 would you go with the Zeiss 21 or Canon 24. Manual focus isn't an issue.

I had the 24 first on a 5D II but quickly wound up swapping it out for the 21 Zeiss. I'd hoped to use the fastness of the 24 for night sky stuff but the coma is so extreme it rendered it useless for that and needed stopped to at least F2.8 anyway. The Zeiss is dope.

It's my favorite lens, too. Great results on both 5DIII and 7D. If I had to look for quibbles, it would be that the lens hood on mine isn't secure enough in busy environments unless I use a bit of gaffers tape to keep it from rotating.

Same with my hood. I use two very small pieces of plastic pushed into the slot where the locking-"bumps" are from inside the hood to push them further out and lock harder, it works, but I can't tell you how many times I have taken a quick shot of something and have top and bottom corner all black from the slightly twisted hood, REALLY annoying.

I love my 24 and agree with the review completely. 1.4 at 24 is unique when used with a close'ish subject. I am on my third copy, the first two had the same focusing error, tested it in one shot with a LensCal target on a tripod, defocused between shots, and 18 out of 20 were completely off and the last two where far from useable, seems just random when it tried to focus. MY current copy works like it should, but the precision of AF is not even kind of close to the 35.

I love this lens however I reach for the 35L more often as I do find that length somewhat more practical. However portraits from the 24 - particularly childrens', can be stunning.

I've recently compared the 24-70ii at 24 with this and whilst the zoom is as sharp, I actually like the 'look' of the prime marginally more - something almost 'film-like' about it. A tired or vague description perhaps but the 24L is really unique.

The 24-70 II zoom actually has less purple fringing though so if you shoot branches against clouds they stay normal with the zoom and go a bit purple and green fringed with the prime so I almost feel the 24-70 II has the purer look at 24mm! (once you start getting above 35mm the zoom does start getting a bit weak in the corners and eventually even far edges even at f/8 when compared to primes or even the 70-200/300s though- although it's f/2.8 performance in the center remains insanely good right up to 70mm! and it's PF free too!) Although the prime still does that a lot better than say the 24-105L zoom.

I'm looking to rent a lens for a backpacking trip this summer in the Sierras and was looking at the Zeiss ZE 21mm f/2.8 would you go with the Zeiss 21 or Canon 24. Manual focus isn't an issue.

def zeiss 21mm IF it's not too wide for you and you don't mind loss of AF or f/1.4

24mm does more (AF,f/1.4, not crazy wide) but the zeiss has some insane beyond insane micro-contrast, people go much to much on about zeiss 3D magic and all that (my canon 50mm 1.4 looked no different to me than the zeiss 50 1.4 i tried and and so on) BUT for a very few of their lenses they do seem to have something special and this 21mm of theirs is one

depending waht you shoot the canon 24 T&S II might be even better, but only if you will make use of the tilts and shifts

hi, I found this statement from fredmiranda.com, though I haven't tried it myself...

"Had some AF issues with 7D at first. I went through 3 copies of the lens. I was about to give up on it, when I tried a 7D "hard boot." Pull both batteries and leave it with power switch "on" for several hours. That fixed it."

I own both the 24L II and the 24-70L II. Although the zoom is a tad sharper f/2.8 and wider, I'll never sell the 24 prime because you can do some really cool things at wider apertures with this lens if you just try it. Go out at dusk downtown and do some street photography at say, f/1.6 and you'll love it!

I'd hoped to use the fastness of the 24 for night sky stuff but the coma is so extreme it rendered it useless for that and needed stopped to at least F2.8 anyway.

This needs emphasizing. This lens is *terrible* for starfield astronomy due to coma. Justin's review is actually very misleading on this -- and I'm fine with the rest of the review. He admits "...I haven’t explored this type of work myself...".

I try to get the best equipment and am keen on astrophotography. I thought "the coma can't be that bad; people must be pixel-peeping; it's an L lens!". I was very wrong.

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Real review, no BS. Great images, all around!...I do not own this lens but have considered it...although to be honest what has put me off on it is the focus issues that I have read about online. I know that any lens is difficult to focus at f/1.4..but I am thinking that Justin's repeated comments about how he has difficulty focusing this lens but that it is all him, not the lens, leads me also to believe that it may not be all Justin's fault!? :-) Clearly he is a VERY competent photographer.I just took delivery of a Sigma 35mm f.1.4 yesterday and am leaving for the weekend to give it a run thru...hopefully it is as good as promised. If Sigma stays true to their word about producing more Art lenses at this caliber, the Canon 24mm f/1.4 could become a footnote for this photographer, if Sigma can make us one as good and reasonably-priced as the 35mm???..oh..and the lens hood on the Sigma is IMPRESSIVELY secure. (the only thing that Sigma did wrong so far, was they included a zippered toaster cozy for the lens instead of cool, simple lens pouch...?? LOL..that thing is staying in the box!). I hope they can deliver more lenses like this.

So it's unclear from the review if the reviewer really likes his focal length on the cropped frame 7D used for all the shots shown in the review or for full frame body. Certainly there are lots of people who love the 35L on a full frame body so I old suspect users of the 24L II will love it on 7D. I have the 24L II, 35L, and 24-70L II, and the TS-E 24L II and find the 24L II doesn't get on my camera. 24-70L II for general use and in events with and without a flash. 35L for low light down to F/1.4, TSE for architecture mostly with a tripod. Steve